Running gear



July 2, 1946. M. HAlT ETAL 2,403,362

RUNNING GEAR Filed July 5, 1943 4 sheets-sheet 1 Vf/rra s.' .M4/55M /7' wm a Kiwa/v6 fr/WMV July 2., `1946. J. M. HAI-r la'rAL.

RUNNING GEAR Filed July 5, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 P II llllllllllllil i Patented July 2, 1946 RUNNING GEAR James M. Hait, San Gabriel., and Thomas B. Keesling, San Jose, Calii, assignors to Food Machinery Corporation, San Jose, Calif., al corporation of Delaware Application July 5, 1943, Serial No. 493,588

1 Claim. 1.

This invention relates to a running gear for mounting wheels on vehicles and is particularly useful for mounting bogie wheels on track-laying vehicles.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel cushioned wheel mounting in a running gear.

1t is another object to provide such a mounting which will absorb tremendous shock loads without breakage or substantial wear and without requiring lubrication.

It is a further object or the invention to provide a rugged shock-absorbing runningV gear havingV a relativelyy light weight for the load it is adapted to carry.

A yet further object offthe invention is to provide a running gear adapted for mounting bogie wheels on track-laying vehicles which employs a torsional elastic spring as a connection between such a wheel and. vehicle thereby providing avery high torque load capacity' in a relatively smallv space and yet prevent damage to. the elastic material ofthe spring or undue. displacement of the bogie Wheel carried thereby due to excessive axial loads or unbalanced loads tending to cause cookingv of theA wheel?.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as well as further objects and advantages, will be made manifest in the following. description taken in connection with thev accompany-- ing drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of' a portion of a track-laying amphibian in which is incore porated a preferred embodiment ofthe running gear of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of'Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a. sectional view taken on the line 3 3' of Fig. l, and showing the invention in plan.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. l and illustrates the internal construction of the torsional elastic spring of the invention.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail View illustrating the construction of said spring.

Fig. 6 is an operation View similar to Fie. 4, illustrating the manner in which the torsional elastic spring of the invention is; protected and the cooking of the wheel limited in the operation ofthe invention.

Referring specifically to the drawings, these illustrate a portion ofv a track-layingl amphibian l0 comprising a hull Il', having on each side thereof a, track-laying mechanism (not shown in its` entirety). Each ofv these mechanisms in. cludes any endless track l2 carrying grousers I3,

the latter resting on the ground and supporting the amphibian when the latter is travelling on land but being shaped to engage the water and'y provide propulsion for the amphibian when the latter is afloat.

While the endless track lf2; may be of any suitable design provided for this purpose, it preferably consists of a pair of endless chains l5 made up of pairs of links i6 and- I1, the links l-B having the grousers I3v bolted thereto and the links I? having bridge plates lbolted or welded thereto.

The links l and Il are connected together by pins 2Q, the links lli overlapping the links l'l and having wheel guide ears 2l extending upwardly therefrom. The endlessl tracks i2 are so carried on the amphibian la that on each side of the amphibian the lower run of the track on that side lies beneath side portions; of the hull I-| as shown in Figs. 1 andy li. This portion of the hull Il has a side 3B and a bottom 3l, the latter having aiixed thereto a series of running gear units 32. These units are connected to the hull by base fittings 33 which are preferably welded to the hull bottom 3l Each of these base fittings includes a pair of bolt cages 34 which are connected by bumper stops 35.

Eachunit 32 includes anannular elastic torque spring 4t, a wheel 4I having an axle 42, a pair of arms 43 for connecting the axle 42 to the spring 4Q andl a pair of brackets 44 for mounting the spring 45t on the base fittings 33.

The torsional elastic` spring lil includes a pair of cylindrical members 5a and 5I concentrically disposed with the member 50 disposed Within the menflberv 5I andA extending outwardly beyond opposite ends ofv the latter as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Portions 52- ofthe extending ends of the member 5t are slightly turned down, these portions preferably extending inwardly a short distance within the opposite ends ofthe member 5l as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The portions 52 likewise preferably have key seats 53 formed therein, thepurpose of these to be made clear hereinafter.

The member 5l may be unitary or it may include anV outer housing 56 and a sleeve 5l formed in two halves 53, each of which has a tangentially bent edge 58 which fits into correspondingly shaped recesses Sii.

The space between the members 5l! and `5I is occupied by an annular tubular body 6I of elastic material which is preferably rubber and which is bonded to adjacent surfaces of the members 5l) and 5l. This elastic tube 5i does not extend clear to the ends of the member 5| but terminates a short distance inwardly therefrom in concave surfaces forming an annular channel in the ends of the member 5|. As clearly shown in Fig. 5, the surfaces of the members 58 and 5| adjacent the ends of the elastic tube 5| are coated with thin layers 62 of rubber which are applied to these surfaces and vulcanized in the same operation in which the tube 6| is secured and bonded to the members 58 and 5| in a rubber mold provided therefor.

The thin rubber layers 62 serve the important function of excluding the atmosphere and any water present from access to the border lines of the areas on either of the members 58 or 5| where these are bonded to the rubber spring tube 6|. This has been found to assist materially in maintaining adhesion between members 58 and 5I and the tube Bl over long periods of service The arms 43 have eyes 65 into which the opposite ends of the member 5| are inserted and to which these ends are connected as by welding. The arms 43 are parallel and have clamps 86 near their ends for receiving and rigidly clamping opposite ends of the axle 42. End portions of the arms 43 provide faces 81 on which are fixed rubber bumpers 68 which serve to engage bumper stops 35 under extreme loads to prevent damage to the running gear unit 32.

The arms 43 have extensions 69 which are connected by a mud-scraping angle iron 18. This mud scraper is disposed close to the periphery of the wheel 4| for keeping mud from accumulating on said Wheel. Each of the arms 43 is provided With a stop 1| which extends outwardly therefrom, the purpose of which will be made clear hereinafter.

The Wheel 4| may be of any preferred construction, but preferably has a metal hub 12 containing a self-lubricating bearing rotatably relating the Wheel to the axle 42 and preferably carries a tire 13 of solid rubber.

Each of the brackets 44 includes a body 88 having ears 8| which are adapted to be bolted by bolts 82 to the bolt cages 34 of an adjacent pair of fittings 33 so that the brackets 44 extend upwardly between these fittings. The body 88 has a downward extension 85 and has upper and lower bolt holes 86, the purposes of which will be made clear hereinafter.

The body 80 has a bore 81 and a sleeve 88 extending inwardly therefrom about said bore so as to nt one of the end portions 52 of the inner spring member 58. The bore 81 has a key way 89 which is adapted to match with the key way 53 of a corresponding end 52 of member 58 to accommodate a key 98. Besides the keys 98 preventing rotation between the member 58 and brackets 44, this member is preferably permanently united with these brackets as by welding material 9|.

The sleeves 88 have annular flanges 9 4 which extend axially inwardly therefrom into the free spaces between the members 58 and 5| at opposite ends of the rubber spring tube 6| These flanges have such an outer diameter as to leave free spaces 85 between the flanges 94 and the member 5| which are preferably less than one-half of the thickness of the rubber tube 6|.

Also provided on each sleeve 88 is an annular radial flange 91 which is spaced axially from the adjacent end member 5|, the space 98 between this flange and the adjacent end of the member 5l being preferably less than the spaces 85.

Although not essential to the proper operation of the invention, provision is made for guarding the running gear units 32 by side plates 89 Which are secured to the brackets 44 by bolts |88 passing through holes 86.

Operation The running gear of the invention must not only provide a cushioned support for the amphibian i8, but it must be adapted to provide this support while the amphibian is operating over irregular ground. Normally the plane of the ground is substantially parallel with the bottom of the hull in which case the invention operates as shown in Fig. 4.

Where the amphibian passes over ground sloping across the direction of its travel, the hull bottom 3| slopes laterally as illustrated in Fig. 6, This sets up an axial side thrust on the bogie wheels 4l which, of course, is transmitted to the springs 48. Where these side loads are excessive they tend to strip the rubber 6I from the tubular members 58 and 5|. Such a load also tends to cock each of the bogie Wheels affected, forcing the axle` 42 out of parallelism with the inner member 58 of the connecting spring 48. This tends to cause this bogie wheel to crowd the bogie wheel guide ears 2| along the side of the track l2 towards which the wheel is thus cocked.

Another condition not infrequently met with is where one of the tracks l2 is unevenly supported as also shown in Fig. 6. This tends to cock the bogie wheels as they travel over the section of track thus supported.

It is to protect the springs 4 from damage by these abnormal loading conditions and also to prevent an excessive misalignment of the bogie' wheels 4| with the tracks 2, that we provide the annular Vaxial limit ilanges 94 to limit the cooking movement of each bogie wheel and the radial limit flanges 91 to limit the endwise or axial shifting of the outer inember 5| and the bogie wheel supported thereon.

An important advantage of the features described hereinabove is that elastic torque springs are thereby made available for use in heavy duty running gears in which a single Wheel is called upon to support a maximum load of as much as 9000 pounds under unbalanced load conditions without damage being done to the spring and yet permitting said spring to function under nor- Inal operating conditions where the load on the wheels is more or less balanced without any frictional contact between the metallic parts of the spring.

The stops 1| provided on the arms 43 are positioned to engage the brackets 32 and thereby operate to prevent an accidental reverse rotation of the outer member 5| relative to the inner member 58. If such a reverse rotation were carried far enough it would tend to rotate the housing 58 relative to the split sleeve 51, This latter action is, of course, undesirable as it pulls the tangential 'locking edges 59 out of the recesses 68 and if permitted would tend to hold the member 5| in this abnormally rotated position relative to the member 50.

We claim:

Inra running gear the combination of: an annular elastic torque spring including an inner cylindrical member, an outer sleeve member through which the inner member extends, and a tubular elastic element disposed in the space between and bonded to said members; means provided upon opposite ends of said inner member to mount said spring on a vehicle; a pair of arms rigidly fixed upon opposite ends of said sleeve member; an axle supported between said arms;

5 a wheel rotatably carried on said axle, an annular space being left free between said members at each end of said elastic element; a pair of annular axial flanges provided on said spring mounting means and extending into said annular spaces to form limit stops preventing pinching or undue stretching of said elastic element and also preventing excessive cooking of said wheel While permitting free resilient support of said vehicle by said spring without frctional metallic contact therein during ordinary operating conditions; and a pair of radial anges provided on said spring mounting means and spaced from opposite ends of lsaid sleeve member to limit end play of the latter under side thrust.

JAMES M. HAIT. THOMAS B. KEESLING. 

